Metropol

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7681914.stm

BBC News Article wrote:Bendy-buses with the slogan "There's probably no God" could soon be running on the streets of London.

The complete slogan reads: "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."

Professor Dawkins said: "Religion is accustomed to getting a free ride - automatic tax breaks, unearned respect and the right not to be offended, the right to brainwash children.

But Stephen Green of pressure group Christian Voice said: "Bendy-buses, like atheism, are a danger to the public at large. I should be surprised if a quasi-religious advertising campaign like this did not attract graffiti."

Only a small, local news story, but I personally view this as a positive step. The social stigma attached to any expression of non-religion is, in my view, unacceptable; and given that religion forms the basis for a huge amount of aggressive zealotry, I find the presence of this rather encouraging. As a developed society we still have a long way to go to achieveing true secularity - which is not just the right to express your religion, but also the right to express quite the opposite.

I am intrigued by Stephen Green's indirect incitement to vandalise the posters; he's clearly been taking lessons from Iris.

Hmmm, telling people how to act based on the existence of an invisible sky man? That's a bit too familiar. Makes it too easy to attack as hypocritical.

Personally I like the comparison between atheism and bendy buses both being "a danger to the public at large".

Yeah right - one of them is likely to make you feel small and undervalued, with the repeated threat that you could die in a ball of flames. The other is atheism.

Oh wait.

Isonstine wrote:Personally I like the comparison between atheism and bendy buses both being "a danger to the public at large".

Yeah right - one of them is likely to make you feel small and undervalued, with the repeated threat that you could die in a ball of flames. The other is atheism.

Oh wait.

Lol.

You haven't seen the buses where I live. Those could burst into flames, fall over and burst into flames, or get you to Scunthorpe. Not sure which one is worse, to be honest.

Where's your precious "God" now?

I think this is a good thing. Probably more informative than most ads that appear on buses. Free speech is a wonderful thing.

Mr Q wrote:I think this is a good thing. Probably more informative than most ads that appear on buses. Free speech is a wonderful thing.

Certainly more informative than some of them where I live. Bus ads for cinema releases of 2-3 months ago, and the posters for BBC1's EastEnders which read:

RICCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY! April 2008.

And as if to challenge the bendy-bus ads (shortly coming to Edinburgh), I've just had a, frankly, gorgeous young blonde woman handing in copies of the Watchtower (the Jehovah's magazine) for the benefit of the staff.

Entitled, "Is there a God, and should we fear Hell?", the magazine is now located for all to read at the bottom of File 13.

i.e. the bin in the kitchen.

There is a creepy fat american man who used to shout fire and damnation from his bible in the city centre. Everyone laughed / threw crisps at him. He hasn't been seen in a while actually.

I'm beginning to seriously worry about this thread.

Hymagumba wrote:There is a creepy fat american man who used to shout fire and damnation from his bible in the city centre. Everyone laughed / threw crisps at him. He hasn't been seen in a while actually.

I believe he was around last week - riding the coattails of success that the animal cruelty rat and model aircraft set for outside-Boots entertainment.
And a new guy is occasionally hanging around by Tesco Metro with a lovely sign reading something along the lines of "MARRIAGE: 1 MAN, 1 WOMAN. ANYTHING ELSE: DAMNNATION"